Book Review: Blink: The power of thinking without thinking by Malcolm Gladwell, 2005, 2005 Paperback Edition.

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We live in a world that assumes that the quality of a decision is directly related to the time and effort that went into making it…

The first task of blink is to convince you of a simple fact: decisions made very quickly can be every bit as good as decisions made cautiously and deliberately.

-          Malcolm Gladwell, Author of Blink and The Tipping Point.

We make snap judgements everyday. From simple things such as deciding what foods to eat to complex things such as deciding whether we like people or not at first glance. Many times, we can’t explain why we decide the way we do and any attempt to do so ends in frustration and utter failure.

Welcome to Blink.

In this insightful, simple yet beautifully written book, Malcolm Gladwell explores the inner workings of the mind that enable us to make spur-of-the-moment decisions. He goes beyond explaining the process to the conditions that can make this process faulty. Highly recommended reading.

Book Review: The Tipping Point: How little things can make a big difference by Malcolm Gladwell, 2000, First Back Bay International Edition.

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We are all, at heart, gradualists. Our expectations are set by the steady passage of time. But the world of the tipping point is a place where the unexpected becomes expected, where radical change is more than a possibility. It is, contrary to our expectations, a certainty.

-          Malcolm Gladwell, The Tipping Point.

In this paperback volume, Malcolm Gladwell has extensively explored the concept of trends. Why do some behaviours and products catch on and assume epidemic proportions while some die off never seeing the light of day? The answer to this is more complex than may be initially thought.  A thoroughly researched volume, heavily backed by various scientific studies, the author points out several factors  which are largely responsible for social behaviours and life choices that people make.

There is so much to be said for the explanation of human behaviours found that it makes one think. Hailed as a terrifically rewarding read, it is truly a pleasure to read.

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